Empty Stomachs, Full Hearts
by Puldoh
Summary: He was so hungry. He wanted food. But he knew it was hard to find it. So he kept silent. He knew father was gone, he went out, looking for food. Mikey reflects on a certain part of his childhood, remembering when they had nothing but eachother.


Mikey sighed. He was so hungry. He wanted food. But he knew it was hard to find it. So he kept silent. He knew father was gone, he went out, looking for food and they were supposed to be quiet and stay in the bedroom while he was gone.

But they didn't. Raph and Leo wanted to play Chess and so they went to the living room. Don was still playing with his machines. But he was tired. He had no energy.

His stomach rumbled but he ignored it. He was hungry but he knew his brothers were just as hungry as he was. They heard a sound and tensed up. All four silently ran to Mikey's room, the messiest but had more hiding spots inside. They waited silently as they heard the door open and close.

"My sons." Mikey heard and felt so happy to hear. He darted forward but Raph and Leo pushed him back so they could go first. He grunted, hitting the ground. Don helped him up. Mikey glared at his older brothers. Just because he was the smallest and weakest didn't mean they could push him around like that.

Don muttered, "Just ignore them, com'n, let's go see father."

Mikey ran forward and saw by the sadness in father's eyes, he didn't find much food that night. He gave father a hug anyway. "I missed you father." he said beaming.

Splinter smiled at all of them, "I missed you four as well. I bring sad news though. I could not find that much food tonight. It was difficult searching."

Mikey sighed, understanding. He knew that the humans threw away food, and that Splinter had to search threw the garbage to find food. As much as he hated it, he still liked eating. And besides, humans wasted a lot of food. Splinter would find food inside cans, sometimes juice boxes or fruit.

Splinter pulled a few items out of his bag. A can of soup, and some crackers. That was all. Mikey wished they could find food. His stomach rumbled.

Splinter told them to go and play, and he would cook the chicken soup. They nodded and left quietly.

Mikey snuck back to the kitchen, and saw Splinter crying in the kitchen. He walked over, "Its okay father, its going to be okay!" he said, wanting to comfort his father.

"No my son, it is not okay. You four are growing, and to be strong and healthy, you must eat more food." Splinter said sadly, cooking the chicken soup. He had added extra water to it to make it seem like more.

Mikey smiled, "I'm always full father, full of love. Its going to be okay. We happy. We have love….if no food…we can still love…right?"

Splinter gave a soft laugh, "Yes my son. We will always have love. We will be full on love."

Mikey giggled, loving that. Even though his stomach was empty and wanting food, he knew he was loved.

* * *

He was cold now. The lair was cold. His brothers were all huddled up around him, Splinter was singing a lullaby. He tried to not think about how cold and hungry he was, but he was. Splinter would find some food, but they wouldn't have much for the longest time. But he was sick now, and when he ate, he threw it up. He hated it.

He was so hungry, but the food wouldn't stay in him. His head hurt and he was dizzy. His stomach rumbled all the time. He could drink water, and started to fill up on water since he was so thirsty. But food. Precious food that father searched for, was scarce and needed to go all around. But when he got his share, it wouldn't stay down.

Mikey was scared. He had never been so hungry before. He had thinned down, still smaller than his brothers, and weaker. He started to get sick more and more. He often wondered what they would do if Splinter never found any food.

Days went by and it was getting colder. Splinter went out to scavenge, for hours and hours it seemed.

But then things started to change. Splinter started to find more food, but Mikey was still sick. His brothers ate, excited to have such fare. Bread, soups, noodles, fruit. Splinter explained that people have often dropped things and while scrambling around on the cold ground, missed items. Splinter would then run and grab them, take them home.

Mikey was still rally sick, and one night, he fell asleep...

He didn't know that he was asleep for days, or that he didn't remember anyone when he woke up, he remember days afterwards. When father would come in with food, and feed him. But the food would not stay. But over those hazy days, he started to feel more awake, and could speak more. He was able to eat, and take in food.

But Mikey was so hungry, and could not eat such rich food right away. He had broth, chicken and vegetable soups. Till they started staying down.

Splinter started to be able to find more food to fill their tummies.

Mikey smiled when father came into his room, holding a bowl of noodles. "That for me sensei?" he asked quietly, still quite hungry, feeling he could keep it down.

Splinter smiled, "It is my son. Your brothers have ate for tonight already. This is for you my son."

Mikey smiled and breathed in the food. He was grateful that father could find them food, and never whined or complained if father came home without anything. He understood a lot even though he was a child. He understood that Splinter was doing the best he could.

After he finished the noodles, and was happy that his tummy was full for a change, he said, "Father, I just want to say thank you."

Splinter frowned at the politeness of the words. "For what Michelangelo?"

Mikey beamed, and said, "For doing the best you can do father!"

Splinter frowned for a moment, wondering why he said what he said. But Mikey continued, "For being our father. For watching over us, taking care of us. For feeding us. You do so much, I'm just so happy, so full inside father."

Splinter smiled big and wide. He enjoyed hearing that his son speaking so elegantly and wisely.

"I thank you my son, for being who you are!" Splinter said, giving Michelangelo a hug and cuddle, "I want you to go to sleep now my son. It has been a long day and you are recovering."

Mikey nodded, laying down, smiling happily, "I'm just so full inside father…I love you….for everything…" and he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Splinter smiled as he watched his youngest go to sleep, and whispered before he left, "And I love you all for filling me up with love." He turned off the light and left the room.

* * *

9 Years passed By:

Mikey smiled when April delivered the food, "Yes, Thank you April, thanks so much!" he said, loving to see a bag full of food. Even though his childhood was far in the past, he still remembered the days where they had no food.

April laughed, "Holy Mike, it sounds like your starving! Its okay."

Mikey smiled sadly, remembering days when he was so hungry, his stomach rumbling for days. Wanting food. He smiled again at April, "Not anymore April, not anymore." and he turned to put the food away.

April, puzzled at the cryptic remark, went to the living room where Don and Leo were talking. Raph was watching TV, and it was pleasant.

"Hey guys," she called, smiling.

"Hey April, how are you doing?" Leo asked politely.

April smiled at him, "I'm doing good. I was just giving Mikey the bag of food he asked for. You should have seen him. I have never seen anyone so glad to see food before. But he said something that puzzles me…."

Leo and Don gave her their attention, curiosity on their faces. Raph was seen looking over quickly but he looked back at the TV, trying to appear he hadn't heard it.

"What was it he said?" Don asked smiling.

Well, I said, 'it sounds like your starving,' to him, and he gave me the strangest smile, and said, 'not anymore April, not anymore'. Isn't that odd?"

Their faces changed just a fraction, she could see it. Something. She just didn't know what. She had met these turtles 3 weeks ago, and loved them so much. She didn't know her life was empty until she met these teenage turtles. "What, was it something I said?" she asked a little nervous.

Don shook his head quickly, a small nervous smile on his face, "No, no, its not that April….its just…." he glanced at Raph and Leo before he spoke, "Our lives changed when we met you."

April frowned, not understanding. She thought they were pretty well off. They had television, their own rooms, heat, electricity, and a home, even though it was underground, "What do you mean? I can't have changed your lives that much. All I do is visit or bring Mikey some food….where do you keep it anyway?"

Their was silence, and April was confused by their hesitant looks. Raph finally spoke, asking, "You ever go hungry April?"

April shook her head, "No, not really, I was sent to my room without dinner sometimes, or I skipped meals, but I always had food. Why?"

Raph turned the TV off, he turned and looked at April, "Growing up was hard underground April….if it wasn't for Splinter scavenging….then we would have died years ago."

April frowned again, and Leo spoke, "April, the way you changed our lives is that we no longer have to dig through the garbage for food, to go to the dumpsters behind restaurants to get food. That's how you changed our lives."

April was aghast and horrified, "You guys had to eat garbage?! That's horrible!"

April reflected on their eating habits, seeing them when they ate, and saw a disturbing trend. They ate quickly. Leo was neat and tidy, but still ate his food fast. Don was extremely tidy, wore a napkin, but he ate just as fast. Raphael would eat, but he ignored table manners sometimes, usually choosing to eat by himself. But he ate just as fast. And then there was Mikey. Mikey ate as much as possible as he could. As fast as he could. He was noisy and messy but ate with a thirst of hunger.

"Is that why you eat as you do, as much as you do? What was Mikey like as a child? What were you like as a child?" April asked in a whisper, not wanting to draw Mikey's attention from the kitchen.

They saw her nervous and fearful of offending Mikey. So they sat closer. Leo said quietly. "There were times in our early years when Sensei couldn't find nothing. Sometimes a can of soup was all he found, or old bread. Scraps of food."

Leo started to explain, his eyes distant, as if he was living in the past once again. "There were days when it was so hard to get up, our stomachs were so empty and we just wanted as much food as we can get. Splinter would come home and he would struggle to get the few he could. Sometimes, I don't think he even ate, choosing to give his food to us instead."

Don took up the next part, "We were children, I think about 6 or so, when Splinter went through a long dry spell. Surface dwellers were being careful and we weren't getting much. Their were strikes where the garbage hadn't been picked up for weeks, and Splinter couldn't take any of that food. Then winter came, and people started loosing more food due to ripped bags, or plain forgetfulness. He would come home with more food then ever before. We would actually have food in our cupboards."

Raph continued the story, "But Mikey was sick. For a long time. It seemed like years but Donnie says it was months. He shrunk. He couldn't hold down any food. He could barely drink water. Splinter said we had to gain our own strength, eat as much as we can. And we did, we grew stronger, but Mike, he hardly grew." Raph paused, closing his eyes as if he was in pain, "Then Mikey fell asleep, and he didn't wake up, Splinter was so scared. We were scared….then he woke up, he didn't recognize us at first. His memory was hazy. But he started to get better. He started to eat."

Leo broke in, "Mikey never complained once about not having food, not once. He never asked for food, and never begged for it. He would ask for water but never food. Even when he threw it up, he's say he was sorry for wasting food. Even that young, he knew how precious it was. Since then, he always ate as much as he could, because subconsciously, he's filling up his stomach from when he was a kid."

April was shocked by the story of her new friends. She felt like she was going to burst into tears. "That's so awful. To have such a horrible childhood."

Raph growled, "Despite being hungry April, we had love. Our love kept each of us alive. We had a wonderful childhood. We played, had fun. The only thing we have bad memories of, is being hungry. And Jealous."

April was surprised by that statement, and asked, curious. "Why are you jealous?"

Raph turned away and glanced at Don, and then walked back to the TV and started watching it. Don sighed, and said, "Because humans tended to throw out good food all the time. And it was wasted. With all the unspoiled food that humans throw out, the world would never go hungry."

April sighed, seeing from their point of view, and nodded, "Its true. I know. I'm sorry."

Leo gave a smile, "Its okay April. You didn't know us as kids. You wouldn't have been able to make a difference then, but you are now. Mikey loves seeing his kitchen full of food, and finding enough money to pay you for it makes him more happier."

Mikey had been listening to them. He heard them tell April about when they were hungry as children, starving sometimes. He remembered being sick, being hungry. His stomach tightened, wanting food, thinking he was starving, but Mikey knew he was just remembering being hungry. Looking at his cupboards, proud that he managed to fill them all, he snuck past his brothers and April still talking quietly in the living room. He knew his brothers could see him, but he waved to them, he didn't want April to see him.

Mikey went to Splinters room, smiling, "Sensei, Please, come see…" he said, a smile so huge, his eyes dancing with pride.

Splinter saw the smile on his face and wondered what his son wanted, Grabbing his walking stick, he followed his son, seeing Miss O'Niell talking with his sons. He frowned when he heard them talking about not having food as a child.

He felt a pang of guilt, but he pushed it aside because his youngest was beaming at him, his eyes wide with love. "What is it you have to show me my son?" he asked smiling.

"The kitchens full sensei!" Mikey exclaimed joyously.

Splinter looked around and saw it was indeed full. He had never had a full kitchen, in all of his sons life. He felt that all consuming guilt again, of not being able to provide for his sons. Then his youngest called his name.

"What was that my son?" Splinter asked, trying to ignore the guilt eating at him.

Mikey smiled, "This is my thank you sensei."

Splinter frowned, "I do not understand Michelangelo. What is it that you want to thank me for?"

Mikey heard his brothers coming near and wanting to tell Splinter without an audience, he said smiling, "For doing your best….I wanted to give you your one wish. The one thing you wished for having for so many years. It took a lot of hard work, but I did it."

Splinter was still confused, and asked, "I don't understand Michelangelo. What wish?"

Mikey beamed, and said with a twinkle in his eye, "You always wished that our cupboards would be full one day. You wished that we would have enough food one day, that the cupboard and the fridge and freezer would be full. This is my thank you."

Splinter couldn't believe the gesture. All of this food. It was because he wished his sons would have full cupboards one day? His eyes filled and he felt choked, and he walked over to Michelangelo, holding him tight against his chest. "And I thank you Michelangelo."

Mikey was confused, he didn't understand why Splinter would thank him. He was just granting his father's wish. "For what father?"

Splinter smiled through his tears, his feelings of joy, love and happiness inside. "For reminding me that wishes do come true, and teaching me that we are always full of love. We will never go hungry for love."

Mikey grinned, and hugged his father tight.

A memory from long ago came back, when they were small.

_He was awake and could hear low talking. It was father, and he was speaking to no one. Talking to himself it seemed. He was so tired, and his body ached. But he heard his father's words clearly. _

"_I wish one day, that all of my sons will see a full kitchen, full of food and milk and all the things they need. I wish my sons will have their stomachs full every night, and no longer go hungry." _

_He heard his father make the whispered plea in the twilight and he was fighting sleep, but before he slipped away, he vowed, one day, his fathers' wish will come true, and that every cupboard, fridge and freezer would be filled. One day, his father's wish will come true._

He smiled again, loving that he was able to give Splinter his wish. He smiled at April who came forward, and hugged her hard, "Thanks April, you made father's wish come true."

April gave a soft smile, "I'm glad Mikey….what's your wish anyway?"

Mikey's eyes twinkled in the light, and glanced at his brothers and father talking and laughing with each other, "I wish that our empty stomach always reminds us how full our hearts are." and he turned to his brothers, smiling and laughing at something Raph said.

April watched her new found family, seeing a strength in bonds she had never seen before. They had gone through a lot in their short lives, but they are stronger for it. She thought about Mikey's wish, and smiled, knowing it suited the kind friendly turtle.

Empty stomachs and Full Hearts. That wish will always be true…

* * *

**Please read and review. I would love to know if this was any good. I just had it pop into my head and I'm wondering if its any good. **

Lemme know . Peace all. And to all those reading, yes, I'm updating my stories, Yes, I have several on Haitus, and I apologize for that, but I wanted to commit to a few at a time. No, I am not abandoning them completely. I will finish them. And to PuldohFan, no I have not heard about MNT. At least I don't think I have. Anyway, when you review next time, lemme know, okay? And yes, I will update, I promise. I already have a few chapters for PTSD coming that I just need to put a few touches on and I will post it most likely by tomorrow. LOL.

Thankies for reading.


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